Town Hall Theatre, 40 Main St., Wilton, will present “Man With A Movie Camera” Sunday, May 1, at 2 p.m.
“Man With A Movie Camera” is director DzigaVertov’s 1929 celebration of city life in Ukraine via a collage of images and cinematography shot largely in Kyiv and Odessa, cities that were then in the Soviet Union but which are today part of an independent Ukraine. The film features slice-of-life scenes showing everything from streetcars to sports contests. Vertov took his camera everywhere, from a birth hospital to a divorce court.
Vertov’s wife YelizavetaSvilova was an equal partner in creating the film, as she edited it and also appears in the movie.
The screening will feature live accompaniment by Jeff Rapsis, a composer who specializes in creating scores for silent films. Although no official score was composed for the silent feature, Vertov specified the type of music that he wanted played wherever the film was screened, and Rapsis will create music that follows those guidelines.
The screening will also include a display of authentic Soviet-era propaganda posters and banners that Rapsis collected during visits to the region in 1991 and 1992, when the Soviet Union was collapsing.
“In the Soviet Union, May Day (May 1) was a holiday used to promote solidarity, with military parades a common feature,” Rapsis stated. “We chose to program ‘Man With a Movie Camera’ on this day as a symbolic gesture of defiance against Vladimir Putin’s aim to reestablish a Soviet-style empire of client states, including Ukraine.”
Admission is free, and a donation of $10 per person is suggested to help defray expenses.
For information, visit wiltontownhalltheatre.com or call 603-654-3456. For more about the music, visit Rapsis’ website.